1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a door window mounting and regulator assembly and more particularly to a door window assembly whereby an automotive window is firmly and fixedly removably retained in a mounting assembly and a method for the assembly thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automotive vehicles are commonly equipped with door window mounting and regulator assemblies capable of being elevated from and lowered into a door cavity by a window mechanism. The mechanism, which elevates the window, coupled with the motion of the vehicle presented a problem of stability with respect to the door window. The prior art recognized this problem and partially eliminated it by using stabilizing components in conjunction with the window assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,044 to Lystad teaches the use of a linkage and a sash plate connected to a window by a fastener that stabilize the position of the window in the raised position and fold in half as the window is lowered. U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,653 to Hayden et al. teaches the use of a stabilizer system utilizing spaced vertical guide rods and an interlocking sliding engagement with a channel support secured to a window panel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,632 to Fukumoto et al. teaches the use of a support bracket carrying a guide follower that permits lateral adjustment of a window glass with respect to a door panel only through actuation of an adjusting screw. U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,326 to Hori et al. teaches the use of a drive member that slidably passes through a guide track member and U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,290 to Juechter teaches the use of a stabilizer strut to stabilize a door window laterally in a fully raised position.
None of these prior art solutions to stability considerations, however, addresses the issue of firmly retaining the door glass in a fixed position within the door window mounting and regulator assembly.
Later variations of mounting assemblies attempted to obviate the aforementioned problems. In these prior art inventions, various devices were used to connect the door glass to the sash or mounting assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,178 to Kiefer et al. teaches the use of a resilient retainer device for quick window adjustments. U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,766 to Johnson et al. teaches the use of rivets to connect opposite ends of a sash with an inboard surface of a glass. U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,030 to Bertolini et al. teaches the use of a coupling device and grippers to attach various components within the assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,621 to Iwasaki teaches the use of a sliding member attached by rivets to a window glass. U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,348 to Kane et al. and 5,243,785 to Neiboer et al. teach the use of window glass attached to various devices with rubber gaskets and brackets. U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,620 to Guillaume et al. teaches the use of window glass attachments via tabs and brackets; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,217 to Roze teaches the use of a window glass attached to a preformed plastic interlocking connection piece. U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,273 to Rodde teaches the use of gripping jaws to retain the window glass. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,496 to Bertolini et al. teaches the use of lugs to clamp a window glass in place.
Although the teachings of those inventions partially addressed the inability of the prior art to properly position and permanently affix the window glass to the mounting assembly, the proposed solutions were not entirely successful. Various drawbacks encountered in the prior art included the following: first, the inability to consistently manufacture the retention devices within close tolerances. The tolerance range of the retention devices often resulted in an inability to fixedly retain a window glass within an assembly. The inability to fixedly retain the window glass caused vibrations and rattles of the window, and such conditions were unacceptable to vehicle operators. Second, some retention devices loosened after assembly, partially or completely preventing movement of the window glass within a door cavity of a vehicle. Finally, the assembly process utilizing various prior art retention devices required complex and costly procedures.
A number of inventions partially addressed the issues of proper position and permanent retention through the use of various adhesives. U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,088 to Akabane teaches the use of a holder and an adhesive to retain a door window glass within a mounting assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,159 to Kunert teaches the use of mounting strips that are bent around a window glass to lock a glass pane into position until an adhesive substance affixing the glass pane to an assembly completely hardens. U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,901 to Ichinohe teaches the use of an unhardened adhesive and an anti-flow member for retention purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,904 to Nakama teaches the use of adhesive-filling grooves and adhesives to attach a window glass to a regulator assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,132 to Gold teaches the use of cooperating tabs and notches in a door window; and, in one embodiment, an adhesive bead to affix the window glass to a mounting assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,519 to Gold teaches the use of a window receiving element and an adhesive used to retain a window glass within an assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,699 to Gold teaches the use of leg members with openings for receiving an adhesive that attaches a window glass thereto. U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,663 to TenBrink et al. teaches the use of a glider block, spring clips, and a bonding composite for attaching a window glass to an assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,468 to Diestelmeier teaches the use of brackets and an adhesive to secure a window glass within an assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,310 to Gold teaches the use of a retainer and a curable adhesive for window attachment. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,420 to Timmermann teaches the use of a holding element adhesively bonded to a window.
The use of adhesives, however, presented a number of new problems. First, the door window glass tended to shift out of position under the force of its own weight during the drying process of the adhesive. Second, the frictional force of the window regulator on the adhesive and the mounting assembly often caused delamination of the adhesive, resulting in disengagement of the door window glass from the assembly. Third, the material composition and lamination of some door safety windows, such as those containing cellulose nitrate, resulted in extreme brittleness. This composition further complicated the attachment of the window door glass to the mounting assembly with the use of adhesives, and increased the costs of production, maintenance, and replacement associated therewith.
Later improvements attempted to obviate the problems associated with the device and adhesive attachment systems by using various mechanical attachments. In each invention, the various mechanical attachments utilized a hole bored through a door window glass for attachment purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,599 to Cox teaches the use of a nylon washer snapping into a hole of a window glass for attachment purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,595 to Wirsing teaches the use of a guide block with an alignment aperture for a snap fit connection through a hole in a window. U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,926 to Grace teaches the use of a plastic disc-cap encasing a T-nut fixedly attaching a window glass through a hole therein. U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,651 to Hofmann et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,783 to Kazino et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,704 to Maruoka teach the use of an attachment element connecting through a hole in a window glass. U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,005 to Ochenski et al. teaches the use of a fastener permanently affixing a window to a shoe via a hole in the window glass. U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,930 to Schust et al. teaches the use of expandable insertion parts attaching a window to a retainer via a hole in a window glass. U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,599 to Saito teaches the use of a retainer that snaps into a hole in the window. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,927 to Lieb et al. teaches the use of a channel retainer for mounting a window glass, wherein a hole may be utilized.
The aforementioned prior art teachings that relied on a hole in a window glass for attachment to a mounting assembly addressed some of the problems associated with the use of adhesives. Conversely, new problems arose. The process of boring the hole in the window glass resulted in a disproportionately high rate of window breakage during the boring process. This breakage resulted in substantially increased costs. Further, the boring process and the hole in the window caused degradation of the structural integrity of the window.
Finally, for maintenance reasons and the like, door window mounting assemblies of the prior art required prolonged, complex, and costly methods for the removal or replacement of the door window glass from the assembly.
What is needed, therefore, is a door window glass mounting and regulator assembly that firmly, fixedly, and permanently retains a door window glass within the door window mounting and regulator assembly and maintains the structural integrity of the door window glass and door window mounting and regulator assembly. Additionally, a need exists for a simple, efficient, cost-effective method of assembling the door window glass within the regulator and mounting assembly and removal of the door window glass therefrom.